Proteas in ‘high spirits’ ahead of Sri Lanka clash

Adapting and executing have been two of the watchwords of the Proteas team in the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, and senior player Keshav Maharaj says the last week of turmoil has merely strengthened the squad that is now living the old adage of adapt or die.

South Africa take on Sri Lanka in Sharjah on Saturday and, although defeat will not eliminate them from semi-final contention, it would be their second loss and would make it extremely difficult for them to progress given that both England and Australia have not lost any matches yet.

Having beaten the West Indies despite CSA’s BLM directive and Quinton de Kock withdrawing from the team, Maharaj said the Proteas were showing the excitement of a team that had been through the fire and was now (hopefully) out the other end.

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“Obviously it’s been a tough week, but the boys are mature enough to adapt,” Maharaj said.

“The spirits are high, the buzz is back after a long two days. We’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from how we’ve reacted to these setbacks both now and in the past.

“I think you’ll see the team come out with a lot more energy against Sri Lanka because the last week has brought us together even more. We’ve handled things maturely and that will hopefully feed our performance.”

The left-arm spinner also said De Kock had returned to his normal self after the brouhaha.

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“We’re always in the team room together, having dinner together, and I think Quinny is in a good space. He’s very mature despite what people might think,” Maharaj said.

“I know if he gets an opportunity against Sri Lanka, a player of his calibre will slot right back in.”

Sri Lanka had a troubled build-up to the tournament, including losing 3-0 to South Africa at home last month. But they did not just curl up and die in the UAE.

“Sri Lanka are a side in form and they are playing some really good cricket now,” Maharaj said.

“We can’t take anything for granted and hopefully we have done our homework.”